QUESTION: Isn't "Easter" in Acts 12:4 a mistranslation of the 
          word pascha and shouldn't it be translated as "passover"?

ANSWER: No, pascha is properly translated "Easter" in Acts 
12:4 as the following explanation will show.

EXPLANATION:  The Greek word which is translated "Easter" in 
Acts 12:4 is the word pascha. This word appears twenty-nine times in 
the New Testament. Twenty-eight of those times the word is rendered 
"passover" in reference to the night when the Lord passed over Egypt 
and killed all the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:12), thus setting 
Israel free from four hundred years of bondage.
The many opponents to the concept of having a perfect Bible 
have made much of this translation of pascha.
Coming to the word "Easter" in God's Authorized Bible, they
seize upon it imagining that they have found proof that the Bible is 
not perfect. Fortunately for lovers of the word of God, they are 
wrong. Easter, as we know it, comes from the ancient pagan festival of 
Astarte. Also known as Ishtar (pronounced "Easter"). This festival has 
always been held late in the month of April. It was, in its original 
form, a celebration of the earth "regenerating" itself after the 
winter season. The festival involved a celebration of reproduction. 
For this reason the common symbols of Easter festivities were the 
rabbit (the same symbol as "Playboy" magazine), and the egg. Both are 
known for the reproductive abilities. At the center of attention was 
Astarte, the female deity. She is known in the Bible as the "queen of 
heaven" (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25). He is the mother of Tammuz (Ezekiel 
8:14) who was also her husband! These perverted rituals would take 
place at sunrise on Easter morning (Ezekiel 8:13-16). From the 
references in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we can see that the true Easter 
has never had any association with Jesus Christ.   Problem: Even 
though the Jewish passover was held in mid April (the fourteenth) and 
the pagan festival Easter was held later the same month, how do we 
know that Herod was referring to Easter in Acts 12:4 and not the 
Jewish passover? If he was referring to the passover, the translation 
of pascha as "Easter" is incorrect. If he was indeed referring to the 
pagan holyday (holiday) Easter, then the King James Bible (1611) must 
truly be the very word and words of God for it is the only Bible in 
print today which has the correct reading.

To unravel the confusion concerning "Easter" in verse 4, we 
must consult our FINAL authority, THE BIBLE. The key which unlocks the 
puzzle is found not in verse 4, but in verse 3. (Then were the days of 
unleavened bread...") To secure the answer that we seek, we must find 
the relationship of the passover to the days of unleavened bread. We 
must keep in mind that Peter was arrested during the "days of 
unleavened bread" (Acts 12:3).

Our investigation will need to start at the first passover. 
This was the night in which the LORD smote all the firstborn in Egypt. 
The Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb and strike its blood on 
the two side posts and the upper door post (Exodus 12:4,5). Let us now 
see what the Bible says concerning the first passover, and the days of 
unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:13-18: "And the blood shall be to you for a token 
upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass 
over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I 
smite the land of Egypt.

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall 
keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep 
it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first 
day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth 
leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul 
shall be cut off from Israel.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation to 
you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every 
man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in 
this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: 
therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an 
ordinance for ever.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at 
even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day 
of the month at even."

Here in Exodus 12:13 we see how the passover got its name. The 
LORD said that He would "pass over" all of the houses which had the 
blood of the lamb marking the door.

After the passover (Exodus 12:13,14), we find that seven days 
shall be fulfilled in which the Jews were to eat unleavened bread. 
These are the days of unleavened bread!

In verse 18 we see that dates for the observance were April 
14th through the 21st.

This religious observance is stated more clearly in Numbers 
28:16-18: "And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the 
passover of the LORD.

17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven 
days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do 
no manner of servile work therein."

In verse 16 we see that the passover is only considered to be 
the 14th of the month. On the next morning, the 15th begins the "days 
of unleavened bread."

Deuteronomy 16:1-8: "Observe the month of Abib (April), and 
keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the 
LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by might.

2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD 
thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall 
choose to place his name there.

3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt 
thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction: for 
thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest 
remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all 
the days of thy life.

4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all 
thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, 
which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until 
the morning.

5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy 
gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:

6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to 
place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at 
the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of 
Egypt.

7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD 
thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto 
thy tents.

8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the §eventh 
day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no 
work therein."

Here in Deuteronomy we see again that the passover is 
sacrificed on the first night (Deuteronomy 16:1).  It is worth noting 
that the passover was to be celebrated in the evening (vs. 6) not at 
sunrise (Ezekiel 8:13-16).

In II Chronicles 8:13 we see that the feast of unleavened 
bread was one of the three Jewish feasts to be kept during the year.

II Chronicles 8:13: "Even after a certain rate every day, 
offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and 
on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, 
even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and 
in the feast of tabernacles."

Whenever the passover was kept, it always preceded the feast 
of unleavened bread. In II Chronicles 30 some Jews who were unable to 
keep the passover in the first month were allowed to keep it in the 
second. But the dates remained the same.

II Chronicles 30:15,21: "Then they killed the passover on the 
fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites 
were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt 
offerings into the house of the LORD. And the children of Israel that 
were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven 
days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the 
LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD."

Ezra 6:19,22: "And the children of the captivity kept the 
passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. And kept the 
feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made 
them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to 
strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of 
Israel."

We see then, from studying what the BIBLE has to say 
concerning the subject that the order of events went as follows:

(1) On the 14th of April the lamb was killed. This is the 
passover. No event following the 14th is ever referred to as the 
passover.

(2) On the morning of the 15th begins the days of unleavened 
bread, also known as the feast of unleavened bread.

It must also be noted that whenever the passover is mentioned 
in the New Testament, the reference is always to the meal, to be eaten 
on the night of April 14th not the entire week. The days of unleavened 
bread are NEVER referred to as the passover. (It must be remembered 
that the angel of the Lord passed over Egypt one night, not seven 
nights in a row.)

Now let us look at Acts 12:3,4: "And because he saw it pleased 
the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days 
of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in 
prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; 
intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people."

Verse 3 shows that Peter was arrested during the days of 
unleavened bread (April 15-21). The Bible says: "Then were the days of 
unleavened bread." The passover (April 14th) had already come and 
gone. Herod could not possibly have been referring to the passover in 
his statement concerning Easter. The next passover was a year away! 
But the pagan holiday of Easter was just a few days away. Remember! 
Herod was a pagan Roman who worshipped the "queen of heaven." He was 
NOT a Jew. He had no reason to keep the Jewish passover. Some might 
argue that he wanted to wait until after the passover for fear of 
upsetting the Jews. There are two grievous faults in this line of 
thinking.

First, Peter was no longer considered a Jew. He had repudiated 
Judaism. The Jews would have no reason to be upset by Herod's actions.
(to be continued)

Second, he could not have been waiting until after the
passover because he thought the Jews would not kill a man during a 
religious holiday. They had killed Jesus during passover (Matthew 
26:17-19,47). They were also excited about Herod's murder of James. 
Anyone knows that a mob possesses the courage to do violent acts 
during religious festivities, not after.

In further considering Herod's position as a Roman, we must 
remember that the Herods were well known for celebrating (Matthew 
14:6-11). In fact, in Matthew chapter 14 we see that a Herod was even 
willing to kill a man of God during one of his celebrations.

It is elementary to see that Herod, in Acts 12, had arrested 
Peter during the days of unleavened bread, after the passover. The 
days of unleavened bread would end on the 21st of April. Shortly after 
that would come Herod's celebration of pagan Easter. Herod had not 
killed Peter during the days of unleavened bread simply because he 
wanted to wait until Easter. Since it is plain that both the Jews 
(Matthew 26:17-47) and the Romans (Matthew 14:6-11) would kill during 
a religious celebration, Herod's opinion seemed that he was not going 
to let the Jews "have all the fun." He would wait until his own pagan 
festival and see to it that Peter died in the excitement.

Thus we see that it was God's providence which had the Spirit-
filled translators of our Bible (King James) to CORRECTLY translate 
pascha as "Easter." It most certainly did not refer to the Jewish 
passover. In fact, to change it to "passover" would confuse the reader 
and make the truth of the situation unclear.

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